Aeroplane.



l.. VINTiL.

` AERPLANE. APPLICATION FlLED JUNE 1 191i patented Nov. 2, 1915.'

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1. VINTILA. `AEHOPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l,4 i915.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.y

3 SHEETS-SHEET To all whom t mag/'concern' JOI-IN VINTILA, OF CLEVELND, OHIO.

. Appircatiofrfna :rune 1,1915. semaine. 31,397.

Be it known thatY I, JOHNy VINTILA, subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to aeroplanes of the screw propeller type, characterized by improvements with respect to "the l.Steering devices. v

In the drawings- Figure l iS a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is afront elevation. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. l is a detail of therear supporting wheel. Figs. 5 and 6 are details of frame joints. Fig. 7

is a detail in perspective of the front steershown in Fig y8 thelfork 23li is pvotedat-Ql'middle line ofthe machine, and the horiing arrangement. Fig. 8 is a detail of a modified rear wheel structure, Fig. 9 is va. detail in perspective of a spring connection between the fron-t wheel and the frame.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 6 indicates ,a main tubular longitudinal strut located at the median line of the machine and supporting the main plane 7. The central strut supports, at its front end, the horizontal rudder 8 and-the vertical rudder 9. rllihe frontV propeller 10 has a hub mounted on the strut', in front of the plane, and the recr propeller 1l has a hub mounted on said strut at the rear of the main plane, said strut thereby supporting both of the propellers. A horizontal tail plane^l2 is carried at the rear end of the strut. rIhe strut 6 is part of the main frame which also comprises inclined front bars 13 and inclined rear bars li jointed to front and Vrear standards 70 and 7l, the joints being shown in Figs 5 and 6 and having openings 72 for the strut 6 and openings 73 for the bearings of the drive shaft 19 which extends lengthwise under the strut. rIhe propellers 10 and 11 turn on the bearings described and each of the hubs has a gear 17.`which meshes with a pinion 18 on the shaftl'iiQ'which is driven from the engine 20'by achain drive 21 and suitable sprockets. rllhe frame is mounted on two :liront wheels 26 and a rear wheel 22.l rIhe rear wheel Lis carried by a fork 23 pivoted at 23n to a .keel l5 which is supported by braces l5a from the bars 13 and 14, and a spring 25 is connected-beween the fork 23 and the keel l5 to cushion the shock of landing. ,In vthe Amodified form ,/Specication of Letters Patent.

i --AEROP'LANE llantented No". 2, i915.

23 to a strut 23d depending from the keel lo, and has a rod 23e wlnch works through a guide l5,b in the, keel, with a spring 25?L coiled around the rod to cushion the impact, the front end of the fork being free to swing to and from the keel as shown in dotted lines in Fig. S. The front wheels are cai'- ried at the outer ends of an axle 2T which is supported by radius rods 23 pivoted to the keel, and allowing the wheels to yield up and down. The outer ends of the axles `are connected to bars 29 which have T heads 29u at their upper ends which slide in slotted guides 30 fixed to the front bars 13, as shown in Fig. 9. This movement is resisted when landing by tension springs 31 connected between the bars 29 and the bars 13, and these springs serve to take up the shock of landing, by permitting relative movement of the bars 29 and 13.

The rudders are operated by a steering column and wheel 32'which has both rotary and lateral movements. The rotary move- -ment controls the horizontal rudder 8,\vhich is hinged at 33 to the cross bar 43 at t-he front end of the strut 6, the movement being communicated by cables 34 and 35 which are connected to the rudder and pass over pulleys 3b' and 37 in the vertical bar 30 at the front end of the strut 6 and thence pass into the hollow st-'rut G through holes at 38 and winding drum 40 on the steering column 32. The vertical rudder 9 is in two parts, pivoted at 4.1 and 42to the post 80, and connected to a slotted' guide -l3 through which the'strut 6 extends. The outer ends of this slotted guide are connected to cables #il and 45 which pass over pulleys 46 and 47 at the ends of the' horizontal cross bar Li3 and thence around pulleys I9 and 50 on the front bar of the plane 7 to connection at 90 to the column '32, the'lateral movement of which thereby swings the rudder 9' with its guide piece 43.

51 is a supply tank for fuel and oil, and 52 is a canvas-covered body for the aviator and passengers if any, said body resting on thekeel 15.' rIhe main plane, the central strut .6, and the other parts of the frame, areV suitably connected by guy wires 100.

longitudinal hollow strut 6 located at the ing through said strut.

zontal rudder is controlled by cables pass- Also the spring supported wheels serve to cushion any shock incident to` landing. rlhe simplicity7 and coinpactness of the propeller driving gearing' are important features of advantage.

lVhat I claim as'neW is:

The combination with a` longitudinal ,strut, of a horizontal rudder hinged. to'the end of the strut, a post at the end of the strut, a vertical rudder comprising two parts hinged to the post respectively above and below the strut, with a space between the parts so that they may swing across the strut, a slotted guide to which said parts are attached, the strut extending through. the slot, and nieans to operate the rudders, including cables connected to said slotted guide.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature 20 in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN VINTILA.

Witnesses JOHN A. BOMMHARDT, F. M. TAGGETT. 

